More money to prevent BSE in Ontario

The Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario are investing $15
million in Ontario's beef industry to help reduce the incidence of BSE in
Ontario's cattle herds.

The federal-provincial funding will help the province's beef processing
sector comply with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's enhanced
feed ban, which takes effect on 12 July this year. "We understand that
there have been significant challenges for Ontario's beef industry post-BSE.
That is why the McGuinty government has committed $6 million to assist this
sector to comply with the new federal regulation," said Leona Dombrowsky,
Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. "This investment will
strengthen the position of Ontario's beef industry in a very competitive global
marketplace."

Removing SRMThis funding
announcement will assist Ontario's cattle industry in removing all specified
risk material (SRM)
from all animal feeds, pet foods and fertilizers. The program is supported
through a 60:40 federal-provincial cost-sharing agreement. The federal
contribution of $9 million to Ontario is part of an $80 million commitment to
SRM removal programs nationwide. Federal funding supplements the provincial
contribution of $6 million for a total of $15 million over two years to support
the development of infrastructure or other measures required by the industry to
comply with the enhanced feed ban.

Managing
mortalitiesIn addition to funding for the SRM programme, Ontario is
providing $4 million to the Livestock Mortality Recycling Project. These funds
will provide transitional support until SRM disposal infrastructure and updated
regulations for deadstock disposal are in place. "This will ensure that
Ontario has continued deadstock removal in the short term, and provide time to
develop a sustainable plan for managing livestock mortalities in the future,"
said Dombrowsky.